It has been a little while since I posted some Musar vertical notes, so I guess it’s high time to publish some stuff!
Btw, here are some of my older Musar threads - for reference:
Musar Rouge 2012-1997
Musar Blanc 2010-1992
Musar Blanc 2011-1994
Musar Blanc 2014-1998
This tasting was part one of our two-part Musar 2016-1991 vertical set, concentrating on the more recent releases.
Some observations:
- The vintages 2016 and 2014 seemed surprisingly evolved and oxidative - something Musars as young as these shouldn’t be. I guess we just had bad luck with poorly performing bottles.
- 2012 was a very ripe and sweet-toned vintage upon release, but also one that showed good sense of balance. It seems to have lost some of that balance, because now the wine is starting to feel somewhat porty or Amarone-like, which isn’t good.
- 2010 was back on track, once again. There has been quite a bit of bottle variation and many bottles have been very high in VA - even slightly acetic. But when this wine is good, it is good.
- 2008 and 2005 continue to be some of the best post-millennium vintages I know. I’ve been following them both since release and they always deliver.
- 2007 was a disappointment upon release, but it seemed to be slowly evolving in the right direction. However, this bottle was again a disappointment.
- 2006 was another sweeter-toned vintage upon release. It was released several years later than Musars normally do and it felt somewhat underwhelming yet a bit overripe when it hit the market. Things haven’t changed much since.
As Musars normally call for quite a bit of air, these wines were opened and double-decanted at 2 pm, checked for any possible corked bottles, then again decanted right at the beginning of the tasting at 6 pm. This means that the youngest vintages got about 4 hours of air and the older vintages a handful of years more.
We also had some delicious Levantine food delivered from a local restaurant. And a couple of extra blinds, before and after the tasting.
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2021 Bimbache Vinícola El Hierro Bimbache Blanco - Spain, Canary Islands, El Hierro (11.3.2023)
A blend of Vijariego Blanco, Listán Blanco, Gual, Baboso Blanco and Forastera Blanco from vineyards in El Hierro, the smallest and most isolated island of the Canary Islands. Fermented spontaneously and aged for 12 months in old Austrian oak casks and stainless steel tanks. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Very slightly hazy and pretty pale yellow color. The nose feels a bit waxy and slightly wild with subtly sweet-toned aromas of nectarine, some banana, a little bit of ripe Golden Delicious apple, a little bit of phenolic spice and a hint of leesy character. The wine feels dry, waxy and slightly funky on the palate with a firm medium body and quite noticeably bitter flavors of chalk dust and apple peel bitterness, some ripe yellow apple, a little bit of cantaloupe, light stony mineral tones and a hint of fresh nectarine. The rather high acidity keeps the wine effortlessly in balance, but also accentuates the bitter tones a little. The finish is ripe and juicy yet dry with a moderately long aftertaste of ripe golden apples, some cantaloupe, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, light banana tones, a hint of funk and a touch of stony minerality.
A nice, balanced and very characterful Canary Islands white that was basically impossible to identify when tasting it blind. The style here was not similar to the whites of other Canary Islands - especially when it didn't show any noticeably volcanic or reductive qualities, although otherwise it was quite close enough - which is why I never even though of Canary Islands. At times the bitterness feels a bit dominant, but otherwise the wine is pretty harmonious and thoroughly enjoyable. Nice stuff. Hard to say if it is going to improve with any aging, though.
(88 points) -
2016 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2016 in Beqaa started with a good deal of rain and snow, followed by a warm April. May was relatively rainy as well, boosting vine growth. June and July were very warm and pretty dry, resulting in accelerated ripening. Cabernet was harvested first, in mid-August - earlier than ever before. Carignan and Cinsaut matured at a slower pace and were harvested in early September. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in February 2019, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in the summer of 2019. 14% alcohol, 3 g/l residual sugar, 6,5 g/l acidity, pH 3,48 and 127 mg/l total SO2. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Quite deep cherry red color. The nose feels savory, somewhat closed and a bit meaty with aromas of wizened dark fruits, some dried cherries, a little bit of roasted game, light smoky tones, a hint of savory spice and a faint rubbery touch of air balloon. The wine feels savory, firm and somewhat closed on the palate with a moderately full body and relatively aged flavors of beef jerky and raisiny tones, some dried figs, a little bit of gamey meat, light lifted nuances of sweet balsamic VA, a hint of crunchy cranberry and a touch of chokeberry bitterness. The overall feel is pretty structured and balanced, thanks to the high acidity and firm medium tannins. The finish is dry, savory and somewhat grippy with a long, slightly evolved aftertaste of dried cherries and some raisiny tones, a little bit of meat stew, light sweet nuances of ripe figs, a hint of soy sauce and a touch of savory spice.
I felt a bit conflicted after tasting this vintage: it does show good sense of balance and firmness structurally - just as it did when I tasted it last time, less than a year ago - but fruit the perspective of fruit the wine seemed much more evolved than I'd ever anticipate from a Musar released only a year ago. I don't get any of the oak aromatics many other people have commented in their tasting notes, nor did I pick up any of those from the bottle I tasted earlier - and I'm pretty sensitive to oak. Thus it is safe to say that the style is pretty typical of Musar in this vintage as well. However - just as the vintage 2014 we tasted at the same time - this wine seemed prematurely advanced. Not past its peak in any way, still thoroughly enjoyable in every way, but nevertheless definitely not showing the way it should. I enjoyed the rather bright, acid-driven overall character here, but wasn't really that enamored by the slightly tired flavors of dried fruits and meat stew. I assume all this can be chalked up to bottle variation, so this particular TN might not be representative of this vintage. At 44,95€, the quality of this bottle didn't manage to match its price.
(89 points) -
2015 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2015 in Beqaa was one of the most challenging vintages in a very long time, starting with plenty of rain and snow, followed by a week in April when nighttime temperatures dropped to sub-zero levels, destroying most if not all the buds on vines. New green shoots started appearing in May and growth continued through a humid June and very warm July and August. A heatwave in August caused further losses in the vineyards and finally fruit was harvested over the first two weeks of September. Cabernet was harvested first, on 3rd of September with 65% losses to the crop. Cinsaut was harvested on the 2nd week of September with 70% losses to the crop in Aana and 40% in Kefraya. Carignan was harvested on 11th of September with losses to the half of the fruit. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in January 2018, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in the summer of 2018. 14% alcohol, 5 g/l residual sugar and 5,7 g/l acidity. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Slightly translucent and quite youthful dark cherry-red color. The nose feels sweet, sunny and subtly lifted with aromas of strawberries and red cherries, some exotic spices, a little bit of ethery VA, light ripe raspberry tones, a hint of fresh red plums, a touch of sun-baked earth and a whiff of modeling glue. The wine feels ripe and juicy yet firm on the palate with a full body and vibrant, dry-ish flavors of strawberries and sweet red plums, some lifted notes of ethery VA, light black cherry tones, a hint of earthy spice and a touch of modeling glue. The overall feel is balanced and pretty structured with the high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, long and moderately grippy with a sunny, slightly lifted aftertaste of strawberries, some red plums, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light balsamic notes of VA, a hint of dark forest fruits and a whiff of earthy spices.
With the difficult vintage and relatively high residual sugar, I expected this wine to be similar to the 2012 vintage - a sweet and somewhat porty vintage of Musar I haven't been a fan of - but at least now, this young, the wine is surprisingly balanced and harmonious in character. Sure, the wine is still very young, but in the case of Musar, the wines tend to perform less favorably in their youth and slowly become better as they get their game better together. I guess the sense of concentration resulting from the very low yields in this vintage has granted the wine enough firmness, intensity and sense of structure to balance the sweetness from residual sugar out and keep the fruit department from getting too raisiny. I enjoyed this vintage quite a bit and it shows good potential for future development. As it most likely isn't showing its best at the moment, I shall re-visit the wine in a few years, just to see the direction it is evolving in. Priced according to its quality at 40,98€.
(91 points) -
2014 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2014 in Beqaa was exceptionally dry, continuing from the dry end of 2013, showing no rain, snow or cold weather. These dry weathers continued into the summer, and by August the vines were already suffering from lack of water. Cabernet suffered the most from the lack of water and Carignan was somewhat affected, too. Cinsaut, as usual, didn't have any problems and matured as usual. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. Due to the atypically high sugar content, the start of the fermentation of Cabernet and Carignan was sluggish and took a long time, whereas Cinsaut fermented pretty normally. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in January 2017, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in summer 2017. 14% alcohol, 4 g/l residual sugar, 6,7 g/l acidity. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Surprisingly evolved and quite opaque maroon-red color with a nutty-brown hue towards the rim. The nose feels old, somewhat tired and a bit oxidative with aromas of raisiny dark fruit and dried dates, some soy sauce tones, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light lifted notes of VA, a funky hint of old leather and a touch of earth. The wine feels ripe, silky and somewhat sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and quite aged flavors of raisins and dried dates, some strawberry jam, a little bit of hoi sin, light nuances of wizened black cherries, a lifted hint of nail polish and a touch of beef jerky. The acidity feels a bit soft due to the rather sweet-toned dried-fruit flavors, so the structure relies mostly on the moderately assertive and quite grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, quite grippy and surprisingly raisiny with a long, aged aftertaste of dried dates and prunes, some hoi sin, a little bit of strawberry jam, light bitter notes of roasted earthy spices, a hint of wizened black cherries and a volatile touch of nail polish.
I was surprised by this bottle: having tasted it 1½ years ago, it was still super youthful and very stern with relatively high acidity - despite the somewhat solar disposition of the wine. Instead this bottle was showing visible signs of age with somewhat noticeable browning in the color and oxidative notes of soy sauce and beef jerky in the nose. I really hope we had just a bummer bottle and this was not indicative of the vintage and how it is developing. I want to emphasize that the wine wasn't past its peak or in shambles, only way more advanced than a Musar less than 10 years old should be - after all, 1½ years ago I assessed this was a great vintage in the making. I hope my next 2014 Musar is going to be less tertiary than this. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 40,98€.
(90 points) -
2013 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2013 in Beqaa began quite wet and snowy, followed by a cool April, resulting in an exceptionally verdant May. The summer was quite normal until a spell of exceptional heat in August, boosting the sugars of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan - but not Cinsaut, for some reason, which was ultimately harvested later than the other two varieties, ie. on normal schedule in late September. Fermented spontaneously - and at an atypically slow pace - in concrete, aged in French oak barrels for a year. Blended together in the spring of 2016, left to marry for a few months and bottled in summer 2016. 14% alcohol. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Very deep, dark and almost fully opaque black cherry color - appears slightly darker than other Musars at this age. The nose feels pretty distinctive with a somewhat sweet-toned yet at the same time rather meaty nose with aromas of wizened cherries, some bitter almond oil, a little bit of blackcurrant compote, light lifted nuances of nail polish, a hint of cloves and other exotic spices and a rustic touch of animale funk. The wine feels juicy, firm and very harmonious on the palate with a full body and quite intense flavors of dark plums and ripe black cherries - even cherry liqueur and cherry pits, some wizened blackcurrants, a little bit of cloves and other aromatic spices, light savory notes of raw meat, a hint of ripe fig and a funky touch of new leather. The wine feels balanced and enjoyably structured yet not particularly tough or angular with its high acidity and ripe yet firm medium tannins. The finish is juicy, slightly rustic and somewhat grippy with a long, layered aftertaste of ripe boysenberries, black cherries and leathery funk, some wizened figs, a little bit of jammy blackcurrant, light lifted notes of nail polish, fragrant hints of cloves and other sweet spices and a touch of phenolic spice.
A very harmonious, balanced and immensely enjoyable - although at the same time a bit distinctive - vintage of Musar. Typical of the label, the wine does show not only slightly elevated levels of VA, but also a tiny bit of bretty funk - something that seems to be quite rare in the Musars of 2010's. However, what set this wine apart from the other vintages was its subtle yet perceptible streak of bitter almond oil and cherry pits, accentuating the other sweet-toned elements. This isn't an element that's for the better or worse, just setting this vintage apart from the others. Although the wine does show some solar qualities with its at times even slightly jammy fruit flavors, the wine still manages to be nicely on the fresh side, showing good sense of acidity and keeping the fruit department from veering into the raisiny dried-fruit territory. All in all, this was a lovely vintage with still tons of upside. Can't say there has been much evolution since my previous taste 1½ years ago - maybe the tannins have resolved and softened up a little since - but I still want to say I feel the wine is developing in the right direction. Solid value at 39,99€.
(92 points) -
2012 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2012 in Beqaa began cool and snowy, followed by a rainy April, a promising May and a hot summer, starting with a hot June and a heatwave in July. Normally the grapes are harvested variety by variety, but this year the harvest was done vineyard by vineyard. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in February 2015, left to marry for a few years and bottled in summer 2015. 14,5% alcohol, 4 g/l (or 6,8 g/l, depending on the source) residual sugar, 6,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,5. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, dark and almost fully opaque blackish-red color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels noticeably big, sweet and even slightly porty with solar aromas of cherry marmalade and dried figs, some lifted notes of nail polish, a little bit of prunes and raisiny dark fruit, light perfumed floral nuances, a hint of balsamic VA and touch of alcohol heat, lending the nose a somewhat Amarone-like quality. The wine feels very rich, silky and relatively sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and dry-ish to borderline off-dry flavors of dried figs and raisin soup, some cherry marmalade tones, light volatile nuances of nail polish and balsamico, a little bit of pomegranate juice, a hint of overripe strawberry and a touch of blueberry juice. The acidity feels surprisingly high for such a sunny, sweet-toned wine dominated by dried-fruit flavors, whereas the medium tannins feel pretty supple, lending some firmness to the mouthfeel but relatively little to the structure. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat sweet-toned with a some tannic grip and a long, lush aftertaste of blueberry jam and cherry marmalade, some dried figs, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light lifted notes of nail polish, a hint of overripe strawberry and a touch of savory spice.
I feel this very atypical vintage of Musar seemed more balanced when I tasted it the last time, 3½ years ago. Back then the wine tasted similarly jammy and sweet-toned as now, but it wasn't leaning as heavily on the dried-fruit flavors and it also had a pleasant streak of sour cherry bitterness that nicely counterpointed the sweeter fruit flavors. This time the wine felt more porty in nature: heavier, subtly sweeter and slightly softer with quite a bit more emphasis on the dried-fruit flavors. Tasting this back in 2019, I felt the wine wasn't going to be as long-lived as your typical vintage of Musar, but at least it was pretty attractive for its quality back then. Re-tasting this wine now, I felt my initial assessment was confirmed: this is not going to be a long-lived vintage, as the wine feels like it is getting only heavier, clumsier and less attractive than upon release. It feels as though the wine was a Levantine Ripasso or Appassimento back then - and now it is a full-blown Lebanese Amarone. It might be that the wine could do a magic turnaround with even further aging, but I'm not getting my hopes up at this point. Feeling slightly pricey for the quality at 39€.
(87 points) -
2011 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2011 in Beqaa was very difficult with a cool yet dry beginning, followed by very rainiy April and May, delaying the grape maturation. The grapes were still underripe by the time they are normally harvested and ultimately the harvest was finished only by mid-October - the latest in the history of Musar, save for the vintage 1983. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in February 2015, left to marry for a few years and bottled in summer 2015. 14% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar and 5,7 g/l acidity. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, luminous and still quite youthful black cherry color. The nose feels savory, a bit restrained and somewhat not unlike a warm-vintage Bordeaux with attractive, layered aromas of ripe blackcurrants, some tobacco, a little bit of bretty leather, light sweet notes of black cherries, a hint of earth and a touch of balsamic lift. The wine feels ripe, silky and very balanced on the palate with a moderately full body and nuanced flavors of ripe forest fruits and juicy dark fruits, some savory notes of earthy spices, a little bit of sweeter strawberry, light nuances of pipe tobacco, a bretty hint of leathery funk and a touch of fresh blueberries. The overall sense is enjoyably firm and balanced, thanks to the high acidity and ripe yet quite ample medium-plus tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is ripe, juicy and moderately grippy with a lengthy, layered aftertaste of tobacco and sweet black cherry, some leathery notes of brett, a little bit of wizened fig, light Bordeaux-like nuances of blackcurrant-driven dark fruit, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of earth.
A fine and sophisticated vintage of Musar that has taken a turn towards more Bordelais style; I guess this was due to a combination of blackcurrant-driven Cab fruit gaining some emphasis along with a fine touch of vague, leathery brett funk - something that the wine didn't show when I tasted it the last time in late 2019. Back then the wine showed good sense of balance, but came across as very clean, polished and somewhat straightforward in nature. Now, with 3½ additional years under its belt, the wine has picked up some depth and complexity without really compromising any of its structure. Originally I didn't know what to think of this vintage - it seemed a bit anonymous with the very characterful 2010 vintage and the sweet, porty 2012 vintage. However, now it seems there is nothing to worry about: this wine is evolving steadily in the right direction and with enough aging it will turn into a fine mature Musar. Solid value at 39,90€.
(92 points) -
2010 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2010 in Beqaa was very dry to boot with very little snow or rain during January and February. Very promising spring was followed by a 3-week heat wave starting in mid-July, reaching peak temperatures of 48,5°C, causing the vines to shut and drying the grapes on the vine. Carignan and Cinsaut survived the heat wave quite well, but Cabernet Sauvignon was badly affected, making the harvest very small in part of very limited quantities of high-quality Cabernet grapes. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in 2012, left to marry for a year and bottled in 2013. 2010 Musar was made in very limited quantity due to the small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon available. 13,5% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar and 6,3 g/l acidity. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, luminous and slightly evolved black cherry color. The nose feels cool yet somewhat sweet-toned with juicy aromas of ripe black cherries, some fragrant floral tones, a little bit of lifted nail polish character, light brambly notes of blackberries, a hint of sweet dark forest fruits and a touch of exotic spices. The wine feels silky yet firm and very intense on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and slightly evolved flavors of ripe black cherries and tobacco, some wizened dark berry tones, a little bit of earth, light ferrous notes of blood, a leathery hint of bretty funk and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. Despite the silky smooth mouthfeel, the wine packs quite a bit of structure with its high acidity and still relatively assertive and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, savory and quite grippy with an intense aftertaste of wizened dark forest fruits, some tobacco, a little bit of ripe strawberry, light raisiny tones, a hint of earth and a touch of exotic spices.
After a noticeably more lifted - even slightly acetic - bottle in 2020, this was a return to the form. When I tasted the wine for the first time in late 2019, I thought it seemed very structure-driven and promising, but also still very backward. Now, 4½ years later, the wine seems like it hasn't evolved that much - maybe showing a bit more dried-fruit character than before - but has opened up nicely, coming across as a bit more expressive while retaining that wonderful intensity of dark-toned fruit. Although the wine is in a great spot right now, I have no doubts it will at least keep - if not improve - for a great deal of years more. This still remains my favorite of the 2010's Musars thus far. Superb value at 41,95€.
(94 points) -
2009 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2009 in Beqaa began very dry with very little snow or rain until March. Low humidity throughout the season and the first grapes were harvested very early, in the beginning of September. However, right after the beginning of the harvest torrential rains arrived and the remaining grapes managed to collect some of that water. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in 2012, left to marry for a year and bottled in 2013. 14% alcohol, 1,9 g/l residual sugar and 5,7 g/l acidity . Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, moderately opaque and slightly evolved blackish-red color. The nose feels ripe, clean and slightly evolved yet not fully mature with aromas of sweet dark berries, some juicy blackcurrant tones, a little bit of new leather, light balsamic notes of VA, a hint of wizened figs and a touch of raisiny dark fruit. The wine feels ripe, juicy and quite sunny on the palate with a full body and succulent flavors of dark plummy fruit and gamey meat, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light leathery nuances, a brambly hint of black raspberries and a balancing touch of sour cherry bitterness. The wine packs quite a bit of structure with its high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus acidity, but the fruit doesn't have the same intensity as the surrounding vintages 2008 and 2010. The finish is ripe, spicy and moderately grippy with a long, dry-ish aftertaste of dark plummy fruit and ripe black cherry, some leathery tones, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light notes of tobacco, a hint of ripe red plum and a touch of balsamico.
A tasty and sophisticated but also a somewhat fruity and glossy vintage of Musar. This is instantly recognizable for the house style, but somehow the overall feel is lacking a bit in depth and complexity - at least when comparing to the great vintages. I feel the previous bottle I tasted (in late 2019) felt a bit more evolved and slightly more anonymous compared to this bottle that was drinking pretty much the way I'd expect a Musar to perform at this point. I feel this time this vintage was performing quite similarly to the first bottle I tasted back in early 2017 - only with a bit more evolution and the resulting tertiary dried-fruit flavors. However, while an enjoyable Musar in its own right, I feel this isn't going to be a particularly interesting or long-lived vintage - although I really hope the wine will prove me wrong with further aging. There's still some potential, but the ripe, fruity overall feel reminds me more of the similarly styled 2015 vintage - only with a bit less intensity and a softer structure. Nevertheless, this has been worth its price at 35,70€.
(91 points) -
2008 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
The first few months of 2008 in Beqaa weren't particularly plentiful with rain and snow, but after the late February no rains reached the valley for the rest of the season. The temperatures were moderate in March, which was followed by a sunny spring, keeping the humidity (and the amount of unwanted weeds) very low. In mid-August a heat wave arrived, making the grapes reach maturity at the same moment, creating some logistical problems on the harvesting of grape varieties – normally the grapes mature at different times, so there is no need to worry whether some varieties would turn overripe while picking the others. Especially Cinsaut seemed to only benefit from the heat wave. The wines were blended together after 3 years of aging, of which 1 year in oak barrels. 14% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar and 6,1 g/l acidity. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Medium-deep, slightly translucent pomegranate red color. The nose feels quite clean, maybe a bit closed and reticent, yet still coming across as very nuanced and enormously attractive with layered aromas of ripe raspberries and wild strawberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of old leather, light cherry marmalade tones, a hint of tobacco, a touch of earth and a whiff of dried roses. The wine feels juicy, silky and savory on the palate with a moderately full body and quite intense flavors of wizened red plums and tobacco, some cherry tones, a little bit of leathery funk, light volatile nuances of nail polish and balsamico, a rich, umami-driven hint of tomato paste and a touch of earth. The wine shows bright, focused streak of acidity and firm, moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The long finish is quite robust yet not tough with moderate tannic grip and a ripe yet spicy and savory aftertaste of red plums, some tobacco, a little bit of earth, light tart notes of lingonberries, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of balsamic richness.
This has consistently been one of the best Musar vintages in the 00's, showing great sense of typicity, structure and intensity. I remember tasting the wine when it was released and even if it tasted a bit awkward back then, you could also easily sense potential residing in the wine. This was now my third time tasting the wine and every time I've tasted it - in intervals of three years - it seems to have gotten only better. This is a fine, classic vintage of Musar that is starting to be a very fine wine indeed, but also holds a lot of potential for future development. I wouldn't be surprised if this vintage continued to age, evolve and improve for another 20 to 30 years more. Outrageous value at only 23€. Very highly recommended.
(95 points) -
2007 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
The vintage 2007 in Beqaa was an uneven one with a sudden spring frost disturbing the growth cycle; a cloudy and rainy May preventing 30% of flowering; and a three-week heat wave in August hastening the ripening process before the harvest. All the three grape varieties matured very quickly and at the same time, creating some logistical problems both to the winery and in there. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. 14% alcohol. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Somewhat translucent and moderately evolved brick-red color with a slightly maroon-hued core. The nose feels relatively aged and even slightly tired with tertiary aromas of dried figs and raisiny dark fruits, some wizened red plums, a little bit of balsamic VA, light developed notes of beef jerky, a hint of alcohol, a touch of dried dates and a touch of old dry leather. The wine feels dry, somewhat hollow and a bit awkward on the palate with a medium body and savory, slightly lean flavors of chokeberries, some prunes, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light earthy tones, a hint of tobacco and a touch of dried cherry. With its modest body, reticent fruit flavors and somewhat noticeable sour cherry bitterness, it feels like there's quite a bit of extraction and phenolics without much substance to back it up. The medium-to-moderately high acidity is pretty much in balance with the fruit and body, whereas the somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins stick out a bit. The finish is dry, somewhat tart and moderately grippy with a somewhat understated but moderately bitter aftertaste of crunchy red berries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of tobacco, light earthy tones, a sweeter hint of prunes and a touch of alcohol warmth.
This has always been one of my least favorite vintages of Musar. Upon release it seemed quite awkward, bitter in an unbalanced way and quite underwhelming, but at least it seemed like the wine was slowly evolving in the right direction: over the period of four years (2015-2019) the wine seemed to get better with every taste and even if the final experience still wasn't thrilling, at least the wine seemed to be better than it originally was. However, that was then. Tasting this wine now, after a pause of a few years, it seems like its progress has reversed and the wine seems to have lost the qualities that made it better. Now the fruit department seems to have dwindled to some degree, letting the more bitter elements and the alcohol warmth to be on the fore. The acidity feels a bit modest compared to the regular level of Musar, whereas the tannins come across as a bit harsh in relation to the somewhat skimpy body of the wine. All in all the wine feels a bit hollow and awkward for a Musar, but in a vertical tasting these qualities get quite accentuated when other wines are nothing like this vintage. I really hoped aging would help this vintage get its game together but it seems that this is not going to be the case. Feels a bit pricey for the quality at 35,70€.
(85 points) -
2006 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
2006 was a very difficult vintage, but not that much because of the climatic conditions – which were remarkable by themselves, feeling like a never-ending spring with only 10 days of summer weather – but due to the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Although it seemed that there wouldn't be any opportunity to do harvest the fruit at all, everybody still carried on normally despite the volatile conditions and fortunately a ceasefire came before the harvest. However, unlike the vintages that normally feel ready to be released after 7 years of aging, this wine was still in shambles in 2013 when the wine was supposed to be released, which is why the winery decided to postpone the release for a year. And then another. And yet another. Finally, the wine was ready for release in the spring of 2017. 14% alcohol. From a magnum; the wine was aerated in two decanters for four hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, dark and almost fully opaque blackish-red color with an evolved plummy hue. The nose feels evolved, somewhat old and moderately tertiary with aromas of wizened dark berries and pruney dark fruit, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of old leathery, light earthy nuances, dried-fruit hints of raisins and dried figs and an autumnal touch of damp leaves. The wine feels evolved, silky and sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and juicy flavors of ripe figs and pruney dark fruits, some strawberry tones, a little bit of leathery funk, light dried-fruit notes of raisins and dried dates, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of tobacco. The overall feel is somewhat soft and mellow with its medium-to-moderately high acidity and somewhat resolved, slightly grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, ripe and sweet-toned with some tannic grip and a slightly tertiary aftertaste of dried dates and raisiny dark fruit, some strawberry tones, a little bit of tobacco, light pruney nuances, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of balsamic VA.
I remember how this wine seemed a bit soft and surprisingly raisiny back when it was released. Back then I commented how the wine seemed a bit similar like those sunny, almost pruney Plavac Mali wines of Croatia and expressed hope in how the wine could pick up some depth and complexity with age, even if the vintage didn't seem that promising. Well, it seems my hopes are turning out to be unfounded: the wine is just more pruney and raisiny in character and the structure has softened up, only emphasizing those dried-fruit notes. I really don't see why people give this vintage raving reviews here in CT, because in my books this has always been a bit iffy vintage for a Musar and it doesn't seem to be aging that gracefully. Unless my view is skewed by a constant flux of less-than-optimally performing bottles, I must say this wine is a far cry from a great Musar. Not worth the price at 39,90€.
(88 points) -
2005 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11.3.2023)
Unlike in most European wine countries, the 2005 was an atypically cool and humid vintage in Lebanon, resulting in harvest delayed more than a week from normal schedule (the harvest of red varieties was finished on 18th of September) and with wines showing lower than average alcohol and higher acidity. 14% alcohol, 5,3 g/l acidity. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, luminous and somewhat translucent brick-red color with a slightly evolved maroon hue. The nose feels fragrant, somewhat evolved yet not tertiary with very attractive, layered aromas of wizened bing cherries and raisins, some dried figs, a little bit of sweet clove-driven fruit, light funky notes of leather, volatile hints of balsamico and nail polish, a floral touch of violets and a whiff of brambly blackberry. The wine feels silky, harmonious and somewhat developed on the palate with complex flavors of wizened dark fruits and fried figs, some ripe blackberry tones, a little bit of leathery funk, light balsamic nuances of VA along with faint nail polish overtones, a hint of clove and a touch of tart red berries. The overall feel is quite structured and very balanced with the high acidity and still pretty firm and grippy tannins. The finish is long, savory and moderately grippy with a complex, somewhat sweetly-fruited aftertaste of wizened cherries and prunes, some leathery funk, a little bit of ripe blackberry, light raisiny tones, a volatile hint of balsamico and a touch of cloves.
Tasting 2005 Musar has always been both a real treat and an exercise in consistency: Musar is notorious for its bottle variation and how its wines can age on completely different trajectories, but 2005 has been a stunning vintage every time I've tasted it. It was stunning upon release and it has done nothing but improved with age. The wine is starting to show some evolved qualities, but there is still more than enough of fruit, structure and intensity for the wine to age and develop for years - maybe even decades - more. Tasting it in a vertical setting only accentuates all of this. Prior to getting to the 2005 vintage in a vertical I always wonder whether I've been correct with my previous assessments, but once I reach the 2005 it always becomes obvious: this vintage really does put almost all the other vintages from the 00's in its shadow. I'm not sure if this is The Best Vintage on this side of the millennium, but at least it is definitely up there in the top 3. At 35,90€ this has been a real bargain.
(96 points) -
2007 Alves de Sousa Douro Reserva Pessoal - Portugal, Douro (11.3.2023)
A blend of +20 different varieties (mainly Tinta Amarela, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão and Touriga Nacional) from a 80-yo plot within Quinta da Gaivosa vineyard. This is a special Garrafeira version of Quinta da Gaivosa wine, released only from exceptional vintages and only with minimum 7 years of aging. Minuscule production. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite dense, opaque and slightly evolved blackish-red color. The nose feels dark-toned and somewhat meaty with savory aromas of ripe dark forest berries and tobacco, some woody tones, a little bit of roasted game, light licorice root tones, a hint of earth, a sweeter touch of almost raisiny fruit and a toasty whiff of mocha oak. The wine feels dense, sinewy and quite muscular on the palate with a full body and spicy, somewhat extracted and pretty ripe flavors of juicy dark berries, some leathery tones, a little bit of licorice root and phenolic spice, light gravelly mineral tones, oaky hints of vanilla and cloves and a sweeter touch of wizened figs. The overall feel is balanced and quite structure-driven with its high acidity and very ample yet not too aggressive or tough tannins. The finish is ripe, grippy and rather ripe with a long and powerful aftertaste of juicy dark berries like blueberries and boysenberries, some woody tones, a little bit of licorice root and pipe tobacco, light sweeter plummy tones, a hint of gravelly minerality and a sweeter touch of toasty oak spice.
A big, quite robust and still very balanced Douro red that is starting to close on its plateau of maturity - and also that seems to have benefited much from additional aging. Compared to the previous bottle that I tasted 1½ years ago, this bottle showed more sense of flavor harmony as the oaky tones seemed here much more integrated, instead the wine having its more savory and slightly meaty evolved tones more in the limelight. Curiously the wine also seemed to come across as more structured with greater emphasis on its tannic structure, but that might be just because of the stuff we drank or ate before either this wine or the bottle we tasted 1½ years ago. Anyways, this seemed like a lovely bottle that might not improve that much with further aging but will at least keep for many, many years more. Good stuff. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 55€.
(92 points) -
2001 Henschke Abbotts Prayer - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Lenswood (11.3.2023)
A blend of Merlot (86%), Cabernet Sauvignon (9%) and Cabernet Franc (5%) from the Lenswood Vineyard in Adelaide Hills. Aged for 21 months in new and old French hogsheads. 14,5% alcohol, 5,9 g/l acidity and pH 3,46. Tasted blind.
Evolved, moderately translucent brick-red color with an evolved maroon hue. The nose feels evolved, somewhat sweet-toned and quite expressive with aromas of ripe dark fruits and wizened red plums, some raisiny tones, a little bit of meat-and-dill stew, light green nuances of eucalyptus, a hint of blueberry and a savory touch of meaty tertiary character. The wine feels ripe, silky and moderately evolved on the palate with a moderately full body and quite complex flavors of wizened dark fruits and slightly tart red plums, some evolved and quite meaty umami tones, a little bit of ripe cranberries, light oaky nuances of sweet, toasty mocha character and woody oak spice, a hint of dill and a touch of dried dates. The structure and balance rely mostly on the moderately high acidity as the resolved tannins contribute very little to anything else but the rich, textural mouthfeel. The finish is rich, ripe and juicy with a long, somewhat sweet-toned aftertaste of dried dates and prunes, some toasty oak tones, a little bit of dill, light tart notes of redcurrants and fresh red plums, a hint of meaty umami and a touch of alcohol warmth.
You can taste that this wine has been quite polished and most likely moderately oaky in its youth, but age has nicely integrated quite a bit of that oak with the evolved, savory fruit tones. The wine comes across as pretty evolved and slightly tertiary, but it is still pretty far away from going downhill. Despite the still somewhat noticeable oak treatment and rather ripe, sweet-toned fruit, this is a pretty lovely Bordeaux blend from Australia. Nice stuff.
(91 points) -
NV Tenuta Ulisse Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 10 Vendemmie - Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (11.3.2023)
100% Montepulciano, made with grapes harvested slightly overripe, macerated with the skins for 15-20 days, aged for 12 months in oak barrels and then left in tanks as reserve wines. Blended with 10 consecutive vintages. This is the 6th release of the wine. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Dense, extracted and fully opaque blackish-purple color. The nose feels cloyingly sweet with intense mulled wine aromas of vanilla, cloves and cinnamon, some blueberry jam, light cherry marmalade tones, a little bit of woody oak spice and toasty mocha and a hint of prune juice. The nose is really over-the-top and in a very bad way. The wine is thick, chewy and quite massive on the palate with a very full body and extracted, dry yet very sweet-toned flavors of vanilla, cloves and woody spice, some overripe pruney tones, a little bit of sweet strawberry, light inky tones, a hint of blueberry jam and a touch of mocha latte. The medium acidity feels inadequate to bring good sense of freshness or structure to this monolithic wine, but at least the extracted, moderately grippy tannins give some firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is long, dry yet cloyingly sweet-toned and quite tannic with a powerful aftertaste of vanilla and cloves, some ripe bilberries, a little bit of overripe plummy fruit, light mocha oak tones, a hint of strawberry jam and an extracted touch of woody bitterness.
A huge, extracted and unbalanced modernist monster wine with no finesse or sense of place. It was pretty impossible to identify this wine correctly because of all the obfuscating oak that made the wine feel more like a mulled wine than anything remotely reminiscent of Montepulciano. Furthermore, the super overripe, over-extracted nature of the wine wasn't really typical of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, either. People guessed modernist Napa Cab, Australian Shiraz and Ribera del Duero Tempranillo, which gives you some sort of idea how anonymous the style here was. I guess the wine was relatively affordable for such a huge monster wine at 28€, but I must say the wine didn't really offer any value for the money. Avoid.
(79 points) -
2006 Colle Santa Mustiola Poggio ai Chiari Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (11.3.2023)
100% Sangiovese from vineyards planted to 28 different clones of Sangiovese. Fermented spontaneously in stainless steel tanks and macerated with the skins for 40 days - of which 25 days employing the submerged cap technique. Aged in French oak barriques and big botti casks for a period that seems to range from 24 to 66 months, depending on the source. 48 months seems to be the most common length for this 2006 vintage. 14,3% alcohol. Lot number L02/12. Tasted blind.
Rather translucent, luminous and quite evolved brick-orange color. The nose feels quite aged, somewhat meaty and a bit oxidative with aromas of wizened cherries, some odd yeasty notes of bread dough, a little bit of smoke, light funky animale notes, a hint of black raspberry and a touch of pipe tobacco. The wine obviously feels quite evolved. On the palate the wine feels dry, silky and maybe even a bit tired with a rather full body and savory, evolved flavors of wizened red cherries, some funky animale notes, a little bit of something yeasty, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of earth and a touch of bouillon. The moderately high acidity and fine-grained, quite resolved tannins make the overall feel pretty balanced. The finish is long, savory and somewhat tertiary with evolved, subtly oxidative flavors of earth and meaty umami, some rustic funky tones, a little bit of ferrous blood, light juicy notes of ripe black raspberries, a hint of tobacco and a touch of sour cherry bitterness.
This wine surprised me - I guessed it was an older Italian red, but I thought it was much older than 17 years old - something from the 1990's or 1980's, maybe. Tasting this wine 4½ years ago, it seemed somewhat developed but also still rather oak-driven and quite modern back then - a firm wine with a lot of stuffing, ie. still pretty promising from the aging perspective. Tasting the wine then, I guessed it would reach its apogee at 20 years of age, but apparently the wine aged much faster than I anticipated, because now the wine seemed surprisingly old and tertiary with a somewhat oxidative overall character. At least the somewhat noticeable oaky tones had now integrated pretty well with the fruit - but then again, there was also a very odd, yeasty overall character in the nose and on the palate, reminiscent of bread dough. I don't know if this bottle was representative of the vintage or if we just had a poorly-performing bottle, but I must say the wine didn't seem to be priced according to its quality at approx. 28€ this time around.
(84 points)
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